Chances
by Sellybelly411
Summary: "So how's it feel finally being at home?" Callie asked, resting her chin on both her fists. On the screen, Ximena chuckled, "Amazing." She said, smiling. Callie Adams Foster and Ximena Sinfuego have spent a long time together within the past few weeks. Their closeness is threatened when Callie realizes her feelings for her friend. ... But could their feelings be mutual?
1. Pictures

Pictures

It was near midnight, and the pictures on the wall glistened from the blue light of Callie Adams Foster's laptop. The teenager was enthusiastically talking to her best friend, Ximena Sinfuego about recent events at her house. Complaining about her family, she almost sounded like a normal teenager. But there were only two people in the Adams Foster house that she could never bring herself to whinge about; her sister Mariana and biological brother Jude. No matter what horrible shit they pulled Callie could never bring herself to complain. She loved those two more than anyone else in the world.

"So, how's it feel finally being at home?" Callie asked, resting her chin on both her fists. On the screen, Ximena chuckled, "Amazing." She said, smiling.

"And what about Poppy? Is she doing alright?"

"Yes, thanks to _you_ my entire family is safe. I really owe you one, girl." The Latina said, "Oh, it's already one in the morning. I'm gonna sign off, talk to you tomorrow Cal?"

The brunette nodded and closed her laptop. Tying her hair up into a loose ponytail, she crashed into bed and snuggled deep under the covers. She had been able to sleep so much easier since Ximena had finally been able to leave that church.

Ever since Prom night, all she had focused on was keeping her best friend safe from being deported. She always put others before herself, contrary to what she believed she could never look out for herself.

"Callie." A voice whispered above the brunette, startling her. She jolted awake and stared into the eyes of her 16-year-old sister, Mariana. She was holding a pillow in her right hand and a purple teddy bear her birth mother, Ana had given her two years ago.

"What?" Callie asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Scooch over. I'm sleeping with you tonight." She ordered, nudging the girl who was forced to move against the wall.

"Why is this happening?" The brunette asked, turning on her side to face her sister. The girl didn't respond and closed her eyes. Callie figured it must be something bad, as she never requested to sleep in someone else's bed unless something horrible had happened.

Worried, Callie wrapped an arm around her younger sister, "We'll talk about this in the morning, yeah?"

"Mm-hm." Mariana responded, cuddling her bear close to her heart.

Around seven in the morning, Lena Adams Foster walked by the rooms. She hadn't been able to get that good a sleep the previous night, so she decided to get up and stretch her legs. Lena paused in front of the doorway to Callie and Mariana's room, her expression somewhere between happy and sad as she saw the two girls sleeping together.

Callie woke up earlier than anticipated the next morning. Not wanting to wake her sister up, she gently climbed over the girl and got dressed. She slipped on a loose fitting off-the-shoulder top and pulling on a pair of jeans, she left a note for Mariana and her Moms and left without eating breakfast.

Quickly, she drove over to Ximena's house and sat on the front porch. Placing her head in her hands, her eyes drooped and she slowly drifted off to sleep. Callie knew the older girl didn't wake up until ten on weekends, but the brunette hadn't planned on beating the morning rush so easily.

Finally, she collapsed onto the grass, snoring loudly. The next thing she knew though, she was lying in her friend's bed.

The bedroom door creaked open and Callie raised herself up, still feeling groggy. Ximena smiled at the girl, "Finally up, huh?"

"How did I get into your room?" She asked lazily.

"Found you asleep in the grass. Were you coming to see me?"

The brunette nodded slowly, wiping away a piece of drool on the side of her mouth. Laughing, the Latina joined Callie on the bed and offered her a bag of popcorn, which she denied.

Shrugging, the older girl picked up the remote on her bedside table and turned on the television in her room. And with a click of a button, the movie began to roll.

"What're we watching?" Callie asked curiously, leaning her head on the Latina's shoulder.

"Jurassic Park." Ximena answered, eyes never leaving the screen.

Sighing, the brunette snuggled deeper into the Latina's shoulder, forcing herself not to roll her eyes as the movie went on. She hated movies like this.

"That was, um…"

"Amazing, right?" The Latina commented, "One of my favorite movies. So old school."

The two went silent, but it didn't last long. The brunette's phone vibrated in her pocket and she whipped it out to see a text from her Mom, Stef Adams Foster.

"Oh, shit." Callie said, panicking. She climbed over Ximena and slid off the bed. The Latina stared at the younger in worry, "What's wrong?"

"Totally forgot about this family thing my Mom's forcing me into! Dammit, I am so _late!"_ She laced up her black high tops and grabbed her purse, "Moms are gonna kill me!"

Callie ran outside and held a hand over her mouth when she saw the car was gone, "Oh no." Practically pulling her own hair out, she texted her brother asking him if he took it. He had probably been practicing on the school's piano again, which wasn't all that far from the school.

And of course, he said yes.

"Shit! Brandon took the stupid car!"

"Hold up, hold up. Callie, just get in my car I'll drive you." The Latina ordered, motioning to a used silver car. Nodding, the brunette jumped inside the passenger's seat and angrily texted her brother.

It only took five minutes to get to her house, and the Latina walked the brunette inside. Callie's Moms gave her each a hug.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologized, "I would've been here sooner, but Brandon took the car."

"Then how'd you get here, Cal?"

"Ximena gave me a ride." She explained gesturing to the girl behind her.

"Oh, well thank you Ximena." Lena said, smiling at her daughter's best friend.

"Anytime." A smile flickered across her face, "I should probably leave, anyway."

The brunette nodded and hugged her friend goodbye, telling Ximena she'd call her tonight. Raising an eyebrow, Lena exchanged a look with her wife. They had noticed Callie's strange behavior lately and were questioning if their daughter could possibly be closeted lesbian.

The only one not questioning her sexuality was Callie herself. She knew she was bisexual. And she hadn't told her Moms because there was no point in coming out unless you were interested in another girl.

Which she wasn't.


	2. Suspicious

Suspicious

Callie tapped her pencil against her lips, staring down at the pile of homework she hadn't even made a dent in.

"65." A voice said from behind her.

The brunette looked up and smiled at her younger sister, Mariana, "Thanks." The brunette said, not bothering to write the answer down. Something had been bugging her ever since yesterday.

It felt as if everyone in her family was watching her. This hadn't been the _first_ time for this to happen, but she still hated the feeling that they were judging her.

Frowning, Callie set down her pencil and walked inside the bathroom. Whipping out her phone, she dialed Ximena's number. The girl picked up just halfway into the first ring.

"Hey, Cal." She greeted.

"Yeah, hey X." She answered half-heartedly, playing with a loose thread on her jeans.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I want to get out of here."

"What, are you running away again?" Ximena asked.

"No. I just need to get out of the house for the day. Everyone just keeps staring at me like I've done something wrong. Is it alright if I come over?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course!"

And on that note, Callie ended the call end left the bathroom. She pocketed her phone and left the house, driving over to Ximena's. Lena watched her daughter leave the house, but tripped over her own feet when she saw her adopted son, Jude, standing in front of her.

"What're you doing?" He asked.

"Um, nothing. Just checking on your big sister."

"Why?" Jude asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Um, is there any chance you would know if Callie could be a lesbian?" The biracial woman asked her son.

"She's not."

"How could you be sure? There are a lot of closeted lesbians out in the world, and she and Ximena have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"I know everything about my sister and I know she is not a lesbian." He said truthfully. He was the only one so far that knew Callie was bisexual, so it wasn't a lie. As much as he hated keeping secrets from his Mama, he hated the thought of betraying his sister even more.

"Oh, okay." Lena responded with a sharp nod.

The 13-year-old boy walked away without another word, Lena still staring out the window and frowning at the spot where the family's Minivan had once been. There was something going on, and she was going to find out exactly what.

Back at Ximena's house, the brunette was laying down on her friend's couch playing on her phone. The Latina sat on the chair closest, "So, what? They just watchin' you now?"

Callie nodded, "I haven't seen them act this weird around me since they found out I had been dating Brandon."

"Maybe you did something? Something to upset them?"

"Like that's anything new." She stretched out her legs and looked to the side, "But I don't think that's the case. Maybe they're like, suspicious about something?" Callie inquired out loud, "I just wish I knew what about."

"Well, how 'bout I take that off your mind? We could watch the next Juras-"

"If you suggest we watch more Jurassic Park, I will personally chuck all of them out the window."

"Ouch, girl." The Latina placed both of her hands across her mouth and leaned back as if she was shot. When she raised herself up, she noticed the look of anger on Callie's face. She wasn't laughing. At all.

And she knew exactly why. The Latina had barely escaped being deported back to Mexico. She and her family were lucky ones, though it was a miracle none of the Sinfuegos got hurt in all of it.

"Lighten up, Cal." The Latina teased, gently bumping the girl's arm.

Pulling her knees to her chest, she ignored her friend. Whenever Ximena made jokes like this, she always ended up getting the silent treatment from her best friend.

"It's okay, _I'm_ okay." She assured.

Biting her lip, the brunette nodded, "I know. I just hate when you joke like that. It makes me think about how you could've gotten...shot. It was scary for me, but even scarier for you." She frowned.

Climbing off her chair, Ximena forced the girl into a sitting position and sat down next to the brunette. The Latina draped a hand over the girl's shoulder and pulled her close, "I'm sorry, I shouldn'tve said that." She confessed, pulling the girl closer.

The brunette shook her head and looked down at her knees, "Yeah, you shouldn'tve." Sitting stiff, she looked straight into the Latina's sparkling brown eyes.

A warmness filled Callie's stomach as she continued to stare at her friend. The older girl was so beautiful. But she had always been beautiful. Thinking back, Callie realized there was nobody else she looked up to or admired more than Ximena.

Not thinking, the brunette grabbed hold of the Latina's face and pulled her into a kiss. One that wasn't returned.

 _Oh, Shit._ Callie thought.

The brunette stared at the Latina, who didn't say a single word. Tears coming to Callie's eyes, she grabbed her bag and ran to the car.

She stopped the Mini in front of her house and got out as quick as possible. She didn't want to go anywhere today, or anywhere again for that matter.

Shutting the door behind her, she was shocked to see her Moms as well as her brothers and sister cornering her at the door.

"Callie are you a lesbian?" Stef asked, staring at her shocked daughter.

" _Excuse_ me?"


	3. Tears

Tears

"Callie are you a lesbian?"

Stef's words caused the brunette to freeze up. She looked over at her brother, who shook his head.

"I can't get into this right now." She sighed, parting through the crowd.

"Sweetie, I know that coming out can be hard. But we saw the way you've been acting around Ximena, and that's way different than you've acted with any of your other friends." Said Lena.

"Stop talking." Callie ordered.

"Baby, we don't want you to feel like we're pressuring you."

The brunette whipped around, "But that's exactly what you're doing, isn't it? You're painting me into a corner to confess something that isn't even true!"

"Baby—"

"I'm bisexual, okay? Not a lesbian." She shouted angrily, "Are you _happy?_ I just came out to you in a way I never wanted to do. Thanks a lot." Reaching her bedroom, she went inside and shut the door in their faces.

"Oh, my." Stef said, turning around to face Callie's little brother, who didn't even look them in the eye. He shook his head and followed Callie to her own bedroom, mad at his parents for forcing Callie to say that. Jesus followed his little brother up, Mariana walked past her Moms without saying a word.

Callie sat on her bed crisscross applesauce, hands resting on her knees. Her younger sister and 13-year-old brother, Jude, sitting on either side of her.

"I told them you weren't gay." He confessed, "But Moms didn't believe me."

"Clearly." The brunette whispered, resting her head in her hands. Mariana rested her head on her older sister's shoulder, "I'm sorry, this is all such bull."

Callie merely smiled at her sister.

"Why didn't you tell me, though? I thought we told each other everything. Were you afraid I'd narc on you or something?"

"No. I was going to tell you tonight, actually, but then—"

"But then Moms got in the way." The Latina shook her head, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." The brunette assured.

The door creaked open, and in came Lena and Stef. They stared at their daughter who was being comforted by her two younger siblings.

"Honey, we're sorry. We never should have put you under so much pressure." Lena apologized, walking over to the foot of the bed.

The girl tapped her knee and stared into the eyes of her Moms, "I was going to tell you. I just wanted to wait until I had feelings for a girl again."

Stef nodded in understanding, "Well, we're sorry sweets."

Callie wiped a few tears away, "I kissed Ximena today." She confessed.

"What?" Mariana and Jude said at the same time.

"An-And when was this?" Lena asked.

"When I left the house earlier today. I saw you two watching me everywhere I went, and I-I-I felt judged and I-I wanted to get out of here. So, I called Ximena and went to her house. Sh-she made this joke that made me mad. B-But then she g-go-got all close to me and told me that she was fine, that everything was going to be okay. Then I-I-I…" Callie bent over, holding her face in her hands as she bawled.

"Callie, Cal. I need you to look at me, love."

The girl lifted her head and the two Moms' hearts broke in half when they saw Callie's puffy-eyed, tear-stained face.

Stef placed a hand on the girl's knee as she continued to wail.

"W-W-Why do I always have to mess _everything_ up?" She shouted, collapsing onto Mariana's lap.

"I'm a lost cause. I ruin everything." She said, "I finally got a second chance at having a best friend and _I blew it up_ again!" She shouted.

"That's not true." Mariana said as she stroked her sister's hair, "You're _my_ best friend, Callie."

"Yeah?" The brunette asked, looking up at her sister.

"Yeah. And it's an extra bonus of you being my sister." She looked up and fluttered her eyelashes which made her older sister smile.

"There you go, baby." Lena smiled at her daughter, "So, if I may...would it appropriate to ask whether you have feelings for Ximena, honey?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, actually."

Nodding their heads, Callie's Moms got up and left the bedroom along with Jude. Mariana turned to her older sister and smiled.

"What?" The brunette asked uncomfortably, leaning back a little.

"You totally like Ximena." The Latina confirmed, "No denying it. You are _so_ into her." She bumped the older girl's shoulder.

The brunette laughed, "Okay, okay, _maybe_ I like her a little bit."

Mariana clapped her hands, "I knew it!"

"But it's not like it's gonna make a difference. She's not into me."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because when I pulled away...the look on her face...she was horrified."

"Well it's _her_ loss." Mariana said, "And speaking of _girls,_ I would love to hear the story of Ms. Callie's first crush on a girl."

"Mari _ana!"_

"No, seriously. Tell me who it was!"

"Ugh, _fine!"_ Callie cleared her throat, "It was back in middle school. Seventh grade, I think. And there was this girl...Molly Debrot. She was one of the most popular girls at my school. She never talked to me. I pretended to be cool with it, but I wasn't. And that's when I realized what I was. I told Jude first thing. He was really supportive about the whole thing, and it's not like I had anyone else to talk too." She shrugged, "So I kept it a secret."

Mariana nodded and wrapped her sister in another hug before making her way into her own bed. Clicking off the lights, both girls drifted off to sleep, Callie pushing her worries out of her mind.


	4. Courage

Courage

It had been a total of three days since Ximena and Callie had spoken to one another. Both girls were afraid. Dangerously afraid.

Callie's courage had seemed to vanish into thin air, while Ximena was trying to figure out exactly what to do about this.

So, Ximena made a bold move. After school that day, Ximena decided to drive over to Callie's house. They needed to sort this out.

So, she knocked on the door.

It opened seconds later, and the Latina found herself meeting the eyes of the frightened brunette, who quickly shut the door in her face.

"Callie!" Ximena shouted, knocking at the door, "Callie c'mon girl, let me inside!"

The eldest child leaned against the door, eyes wide with shock.

Then the brunette walked away.

"Hey, Callie who was at the door?" Jude asked, who had just reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Uh, nobody." The brunette lied, returning upstairs. Jumping into her bed, she pulled the covers over herself and buried herself deep down underneath.

Callie heard the door open but didn't look up. She felt someone sit down next to her and just assumed it was Mariana.

"Go _away_ , Mari." She ordered, whipping the covers off herself and giving the girl a death glare.

But instead of her younger sister, she saw Ximena.

"Wha-Wh-Wh-Wha? _How_ did you get in here?"

"Jude let me in." She answered with a shrug.

Callie leaned to the side and glared at her little brother, who instantly scurried off.

Sighing, Callie adjusted her position so that she was now on her side, balancing her head in her hand.

"Why are you here, Ximena?"

"We need to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? I kissed you, it freaked you out and I basically ruined our entire friendship."

"You didn't ruin _anything_ , Callie."

The brunette sat up, "Please. I ruin every good relationship I have ever had. Romantic or friendship."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." Ximena leaned against the wall, "And the only reason I got all freaked was because I just assumed you were straight."

Callie went silent.

"Why didn't you tell me you were gay?"

"Okay first, I am not _gay_ , alright? I'm bisexual." Callie explained, "And I wasn't planning to tell you."

"Why not? I told you I was gay, and you were cool with it."

"Yeah, yeah." She shook her head, "I guess I just thought that we wouldn't be friends this long. I assumed, I guess, that you wouldn't want to hang out with me after you were clear to go home." She shook her head, "Which is why I didn't tell you. I just thought you'd leave like everyone else."

The Latina nodded in understanding then pulled her friend into a side hug. Then, much to Callie's surprise, Ximena kissed her on the cheek.

"There is nothing you can't tell me." The Latina said, rubbing circles on Callie's back, "You have to understand that I'm not going anywhere."

"You sound just like my Moms."

Both girls chuckled until they went silent.

"I'm sorry." Callie apologized, earning a forgiving smile from her friend. The brunette leaned in in and kissed the Latina. Again.

"Oh my god." Callie said, pulling away, "Oh my god. Why did I do that? Why did I do that again?" She got up and covered her face as she cried.

"Callie! Callie." Ximena said, grabbing the brunette's arm and tugging her back. The girl looked down at her toes but refused to say anything.

"Listen to me. Listen." The Latina said, "You need to stop doing this."

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry! I shouldn've kissed you!"

The older girl pulled the weeping one into a tight hug, "That's not what I meant, Cal. I _meant_ you need to stop being so hard on yourself. It's gonna be okay, we're gonna be okay." She soothed, holding her friend closer.

"But I don't think you understand just how serious this is." Callie said, pulling away, "We can't be friends when I have all these feelings for you!"

"It's just some silly little crush, Cal."

"Is it?" She grabbed the Latina's hands, "I can't hang out with you because I love you."

"That's sweet, Cal. But don't you think you're jumping the gun a little bit?"

 _ **"Never**_ use that expression again." She bellowed, "And I'm not kidding around here, X. My heart belongs to you. I love you." The brunette teared up at the shocked girl, "See? See I knew it. I knew you'd look at me like that." She shook her head.

"Callie…"

"No. I can't do this anymore. I can't be around you and think that I'm never going to mess up again. So, I think it would be best if the two of us just stopped hanging out. It'd make things much easier."

Ximena grabbed her bag and reluctantly followed the brunette to the front door. The younger girl opened the door and gestured for her to leave.

"Callie, please. You can't keep pushing me away like that." The artist frowned, "Please to make me leave."

"Wish I didn't have to." The girl whispered under her breath, crying harder as she watched Ximena leave.

Slamming the door shut, Callie marched away in tears, passing a worried Jude. He followed her upstairs and watched her cry in her bed. Frowning, he sat down next to his sister.

"Hey, did I just hear Ximena downstairs?" Lena asked, peeping her head through the door, "I think it's great that you two are spending time together again."

Angry and sad at the same time, Callie got up and slammed the door in her Mother's face. Not long after it did Jude leave.

 _Why do I always have to mess everything up?_ Callie thought to herself, before burying herself under the bedsheets.


	5. Girls

Girls

Callie had protested any thoughts about going back to art school, but her Moms had insisted. So as she pulled into the parking lot of UCSD, she hesitated before opening the door. She brushed some lint off her shirt and walked into school, doing her best to ignore Ximena, who was standing right beside her.

"Callie?" She whispered, nudging her friend in the waist.

Not looking up, the brunette took out her brushes and began to paint.

"Callie, look at me." The Latina ordered, grabbing the younger girl's shoulder and forcing her around. But Callie instantly looked the opposite direction.

"Callie." Ximena whispered yet again, "Please talk to me."

"Why do you still care about me?" The brunette asked sadly, "After all I've done wrong, why are you so determined to be my friend?"

"It's no big deal."

"I told you I _loved_ you, Ximena. Is that seriously not a big deal to you?" She whisper-shouted, "Because I can't keep pretending that I can live this way."

"Girls, please turn back to your easels." The teacher said.

"Just hang out with me today after class." Ximena begged, "Please?"

Shaking her head in defeat, Callie managed a laugh, "Fine."

So, after class ended the brunette called her Moms to let them know she was going to be out with Ximena for a couple of hours.

The Latina ended up taking the brunette to the derby rink, where she was forced to skate. Grabbing her hands, the older girl dragged the younger one across the floor, holding both her hands so she wouldn't fall.

"You don't have to be scared to hang with me, you know." Ximena said as the two skated.

"I'm not _scared_ exactly, more worried." The brunette explained, "Doesn't it freak you out? Knowing that I like you _that_ way."

"No, not really. I actually find it kind of surprising."

"Because I didn't tell you I was bisexual?"

"No. Because I always thought that if you _were_ interested in girls, I wouldn't be the type you were looking for."

"Why?"

"Because by the looks of all the guys you've dated, I expected you'd date a girl more like…." She bit her lip, "More like Aaron. You seemed really into him. I figured you'd be into a girl who was more into all that political shit." She shrugged.

Callie shook her head, "Nope."

Raising her hand, Ximena twirled the girl around then pulled her close to her side, arm rested around the brunette's shoulder. The Latina blushed when Callie wrapped an arm around her waist and rested her head on the artist's shoulder. They skated like that, slowly, for a while.

Ximena led them to a bench, letting the brunette rest on her lap. She finally seemed at ease. Finally comfortable around her best friend.

But Ximena wasn't. Not one bit. Ever since Callie had kissed her the first time she had begun questioning her own feelings for the girl. The Latina smiled as the brunette raised her head and nestled it on her shoulder. The older girl raised her hand and gently stroked the girl's hair, the brunette smiling as she did so.

Caught up in the moment, Ximena leaned in and kissed Callie, this time it didn't upset either of them.

"Woah." Callie breathed, "What was...what...I'm confused. Do you like me or something?"

Ducking her head, the Latina nodded shyly, "Callie Quinn Adams Foster."

"You better not be proposing."

"...Will you be my girlfriend?"

"I'll think about it." Callie teased.

"What?"

"I mean, I already have _so many_ suitors waiting for me. It's _so_ hard to choose."

"Girl, this ain't The Bachelor. Just give me a yes or no."

The brunette bit her upper lip, "Maybe."

 _"Maybe?"_

"Fine, yes, I'll be your girlfriend. But, we are not going to tell anyone until we have our first date."

Smiling, the Latina nodded, "Fair. What would you like to do?"

"I don't know. You plan it out and run it by me." Callie suggested, kissing her new girlfriend on the cheek, "And you better not blow it up."

Gently, Ximena shoved Callie. But forgetting that they were wearing roller skates, the brunette slipped on her wheels and fell.

 _"Callie!"_ The Latina shouted, running over to her side. The brunette's knee was all scraped up and by the looks of it? It hurt pretty damn bad. Whipping out her phone, Ximena dialed 911 and then the brunette's parents.

The Adams-Foster family arrived just before the ambulance. Seeing Callie on the ground, the six family members; Lena, Stef, Mariana, Jesus and Jude, ran over to Callie's side.

"What happened?" Lena asked her daughter, "What happened baby?"

"Doesn't matter. This thing hurts like a mother." She groaned, reaching her hand out to .

touch the wound, only to have it swatted it away by Lena.

Sirens were heard outside and soon Callie was strapped down and carried into the ambulance.

Two steps forward and one step back.


	6. Condemned

Condemned

Ximena sat in the waiting room, along with the rest of the Adams Foster family. The only felt as scared as she was was Jude. He had his eyes on the Latina, watching her leg shake.

"Ximena?" He asked, "Is Callie going to be okay?"

The older girl paused before answering, "Callie's strong."

He nodded, and Ximena took the boy's hand. They sat there for a while, until finally a nurse holding a clipboard came out. Immediately, everyone stood up.

"Your daughter is going to be fine." She confirmed, "Nothing major, she will have to wear a cast though."

The Moms; along with the rest of the family and Ximena nodded.

"Can we visit her?" Stef asked.

"Yes, but family members only." He motioned for the family to come (which they did) while Ximena sat miserably in the waiting room. Stef paused, "What are you sitting here for?"

"It's family members only."

"Honey, you _are_ family." The police officer offered her hand and held it all the way to Callie's room.

The nurse took them in one by one, and finally, after Jude, it was Ximena's turn. She sighed and walked through the door, grabbing a stool and sitting next to the girl.

"How ya feelin'?" The Latina asked.

"Like a million bucks." Callie responded with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, girl." The older girl whispered, grabbing the brunette's hand, "I shouldn've taken you roller skating. It's my fault you're hurt."

"Shut up, X." Callie ordered, "This isn't your fault. I honestly forgot that I was wearing them so I tripped. It's my own damn fault."

"But, Callie I—"

Rolling her eyes again, the younger girl grabbed Ximena's face and kissed her, completely oblivious to the crowd watching through the window. The nurse, who was in the room with Callie just seemed uncomfortable.

"What was that for?" The artist asked, scooting her chair closer to the bed.

"To get you to shut up. You shouldn't blame yourself for this." Callie gestured to her wounded knee, "I told you. It's my damn fault."

Smiling, Ximena gently nudged the brunette over and joined the girl on the bed. The Nurse made her get off just as quickly, though, which disappointed both girls. Announcing that visiting hours were up; the Nurse ushered the family out the door.

And everyone was staring at Ximena. Including Callie, who watched the Latina until she disappeared around the corner.

"So, are you and Callie like, a _thing_ now?" Mariana asked, who had hitched a ride with Ximena.

"We weren't going to tell anyone."

"Why?"

"Callie didn't want to."

"Why? Because of what happened at home?"

"No. Because she didn't want to tell until _after_ our first date." The older girl paused, "What happened at home?"

"Moms cornered her the day she kissed you for the first time and asked her if she was a lesbian. And of course, Callie said no, because she's bi. But Moms thought she was afraid of coming out to them or denying it or whatever. And finally, she got mad and shouted her confession."

"Well, that sucks. So, was she scared to tell you guys…?"

"No. Callie just wanted to come out when she had feelings for a girl again. She was actually planning on telling me that same night, actually…"

Callie got cleared from the hospital two weeks later. She stayed home the majority of the time, which wasn't all that bad with Ximena visiting her every minute possible. So, today the two were sitting on the couch watching some old reruns on the TV.

"So, how is it? Being trapped in here all day?" The Latina asked, changing her position so that she could lock eyes with the brunette.

"I wouldn't call it being _trapped,_ per-se." She shrugged, "It's more like being grounded by a doctor."

"So, you don't get bored at all?"

"Not with you here." Callie admitted nervously, laying her head on Ximena's shoulder. She blushed as she felt the Latina pull her into a close snuggle.

"I didn't tell my parents I was gay for two years." The older girl admitted.

"Yeah?" The brunette responded in surprise, staring up at the artist, "I never got a chance to tell my Mom what I was. And truthfully, I don't think I'd even want to admit it." Picking her cuticles, Callie lifted her head off and painfully lifted her legs onto the couch and rested her head on Ximena's lap.

"Why's that?" The Latina asked, gently stroking the younger girl's brown locks.

"It's just, Mom was never into all that stuff. She was never really accepting about the LGBTQ community. It's not like I didn't love my Mom, I did. I do. I just figured what's the purpose of telling someone that you're gay or bisexual if you know they won't accept it. Plus, I didn't want to disappoint her or whatever."

"I get it. Believe me, I do. But sometimes not knowing can feel a lot worse than being disappointed."

"Yeah, I guess." Leaning in, she pecked the Latina on the lips, "I wish this damn thing would heal already. I freaking hate being condemned to the couch." Callie glanced down at her watch, "What are you doing here, anyway? School's already started."

"I'm not going there until _you_ come with me."

"You sure you just aren't trying to cut class or something? Using me as an excuse?" The brunette teased. Biting her lip, she sighed, "Seriously, though. You should be at school. What if there's like, a huge ass assignment you need to finish?"

"I don't care. I am staying right here."

"You can't throw away your future, X."

"I'm not throwing away anything. It's just a different future." She smiled, kissing the younger girl once again, "I love you Cal."

Blushing a deep red, Callie smiled, "I love you too."

The End


End file.
